# Keeping your cigars at 70 degrees



## JGD (Mar 2, 2009)

I am wondering how people keep their cigars at a constant 70 degrees. I have considered buy a wine cooler to put my humidors in, but I would really prefer a less expensive option.


----------



## havanitascigars-cl (Apr 29, 2007)

It is not necessary to keep your cigars at 70 degrees. Tobacco is not so fragile that you have to monitor it that closely, so why go through all that effort?


----------



## JGD (Mar 2, 2009)

havanitascigars-cl said:


> It is not necessary to keep your cigars at 70 degrees. Tobacco is not so fragile that you have to monitor it that closely, so why go through all that effort?


That's what I had thought previously. However, after reading various posts on this forum saying otherwise I began thinking it was necessary. Anyone else have an opinion?


----------



## Tarks (Mar 3, 2009)

I wouldn't worry about unless your temps are near 80 degrees. At that point you may risk beetles.


----------



## beaglepower (Apr 18, 2009)

I am wondering the same thing. My humidor goes from 70 at night and 75-80 degrees during the day.

Is it horrible to let my humidor reach 80 degrees? Will I have to worry about beetles. Sorry...I'm not trying to threadjack, just have similar concerns.


----------



## JGD (Mar 2, 2009)

beaglepower said:


> I am wondering the same thing. My humidor goes from 70 at night and 75-80 degrees during the day.
> 
> Is it horrible to let my humidor reach 80 degrees? Will I have to worry about beetles. Sorry...I'm not trying to threadjack, just have similar concerns.


No worries, this is exactly the situation that I am in. It is especially frustrating because I really can't afford to have the AC on all day when the temperatures get into the 90's during the summer as my house is both quite open and old, so the air leaks right out.


----------



## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

If you have a basement put em down there in the summer time. Basements usually stay at a nice 65 degrees. If you don't have a basement turn the air on to at least 78 degrees and you should be fine.


----------



## fiddlegrin (Feb 8, 2009)

I had sticks in desktop humidors and jars for years with temps reaching high 80's and never had an issue.

But now that I have way more sticks, I am getting a vino temp. It would be too risky...

Ignorance _was_ bliss. :=


----------



## stanthetaxman (Oct 10, 2005)

My house, in the summer, is around 78 degrees. I keep the humidity down between 62-65%, and never had a problem.


----------



## newlifetaxidermy (Sep 25, 2008)

I keep the T-stat in the house set at 68 year round....no worries.


----------



## mistabman (May 18, 2008)

I put my cigars in the basement, a pretty simple solution for me. I used to have my desktop on my dresser in the bedroom so I could play with them all the time, but I kept worrying about direct sunlight and other things warming them up, so I transferred them to the bar downstairs and it has put my mind at ease since it hardly ever gets above 68 in the basement even in the heat of the summer. I will say this though, my gf's dad keeps his cigars on an end table in his living room, right in a window, and they don't use the a/c much at all and he's been doing just fine for decades. I think after a while, it becomes more about "protecting your investment" than any real imminent beetle threat. IMO, wine coolers are for peace of mind mostly... Oh, and wine, which is what I use mine for.  To each their own though.


----------



## K Baz (Mar 2, 2007)

The solution is cheap and easy move to Canada.

My coolidor sits in my basment and its 61c and my fridge humi is 65c this is without air conditioning. Sits in that range all year round.


----------



## Scott W. (Jul 10, 2008)

Cigary said:


> If you have a basement put em down there in the summer time. Basements usually stay at a nice 65 degrees. If you don't have a basement turn the air on to at least 78 degrees and you should be fine.


Good call.........I keep mine in the basement during the summer which makes the temp in my humi 63-65 degrees and the humidity varies between 63-67 which is perfect for me. In the winter when the basement gets cooler, I put them on the main floor and they stay at around 68 deg and 63 RH.


----------



## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

If youre really worried about it, there's a cheaper option than a vinotemp. 

Back when I used to brew beer, my friends and I would hit yard sales and look for broken refridgerators. It was easy to find ones that cooled, but with broken thermostats. We' d buy these cheap thermostats from the brew store that plugged into the wall and had a copper wire with a head on it leading into the fridge. When the temp got too high, it just switched the power off. Beer is a lot more temperature sensitive than tobacco and I never had a single problem. 

In most cases, the fridges were free. People were extatic that someone was willing to haul them off.

Best part is, you can store other stuff in them and stick the whole humi inside during the hot months.


----------



## fiddlegrin (Feb 8, 2009)

Herf N Turf said:


> If youre really worried about it, there's a cheaper option than a vinotemp.
> 
> Back when I used to brew beer, my friends and I would hit yard sales and look for broken refridgerators. It was easy to find ones that cooled, but with broken thermostats. ..........QUOTE]
> 
> ...


----------



## slyder (Mar 17, 2009)

actually its Thermoelectric cooling. :doh: close but no cigar....lol see how I worked that in there at the end?


----------



## jledou (Jul 18, 2008)

It's the basement for mine. I would go as far though that if you went through the freezing procedure you would probably be OK even up to 80. I know this goes against conventional wisdom but when is the last time that you say everyone in the cigar producing regions going out for vinotemps to cool down their cigars?


----------



## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

jledou said:


> I know this goes against conventional wisdom but when is the last time that you say everyone in the cigar producing regions going out for vinotemps to cool down their cigars?


You make a great point. I often think of all the vintage humidors Ive seen with no thermo/rh nothing in them. I think of the folks that make them, who never think about it either. This whole obsession with total control is a fairly recent phenomenon. Not to say I just throw my sticks into a tin lined box willy nilly and forget about them  but I don't really bother about temp.


----------



## ghe-cl (Apr 9, 2005)

You run a great risk of ruining your cigars by keeping them for any length of time in a conventional refrigerator. Modern refrigerators maintain the frost-free status by sucking moisture out of the air and contents inside the unit. It wouldn't take long for your cigars to be dried out beyond repair.


----------



## ghe-cl (Apr 9, 2005)

One simple, low-cost solution to lowering the temperature is to use a cooledor and put frozen freeze packs inside. You'll need to experiment to see how many you need, how low the temperature gets, how often you need to replace them, etc. And you should keep them in a separate tray away from the cigars because they may sweat.


----------



## tx_tuff (Jun 16, 2007)

I keep my AC on 75 during the day, we have no basements here is Houston and if have no prob using the AC. I couldn't live without one LOL and having the cigars gives me a good excuse to run it


----------



## Rev2010 (Sep 3, 2008)

Many good points here, especially the point about cigar enthusiasts in warmer climates. Personally I've never experienced a single beetle problem with my cigars, but I do make sure in the summer to run the AC even while I'm at work. However, the main reason is because we have two dogs, and they need it. I by no means freeze the house or anything. I just set the AC thermostat to keep the house about 70-72° or so and all has been fine.

The nice thing is I only need one AC running to do this! Being my wife and I are at work we're not heating the house ourselves with body heat. Our two dogs are small. So I see a very small electric bill with that and our enegery efficient AC. Heck, fall/winter heating on the other hand triples my gas/electric bill!


Rev.


----------



## piperman (Sep 8, 2005)

I don't worry about it anymore, my has been up into the 80s every summer here in AZ and they have always made it, My grandfather had his in the store room out side in AZ at 115 degrees and he said he never saw a bug so, it's all up to you. Spend the money and put them in a vino if your that worried. :dunno:


----------



## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

Last summer, following Gustav, me, my house and my
cigars endured nine days without A/C with no ill effects


----------



## themoneycollector (Apr 18, 2007)

If you plan on keeping a nice collection, a thermoelectric wine cooler is well worth the cost to keep your smokes in top shape. Once you compare the alternatives, the cost is not as significant.


----------



## slyder (Mar 17, 2009)

I had tossed around the idea of a thermoelectric 150 qt coolerdor on another thread a few months ago. I found a place I could get some rather large peltier (thermoelectric) plates and heat sinks. All you would need are fans and 2 tstats so you could switch between cooling and heating....oh and some way to get rid of condesate.


----------



## karmaz00 (Dec 5, 2007)

yeah i keep mine around 65-66F.. dont matter...i think as long as your not too far over 70.


----------



## Mirrorlure7m (Dec 12, 2008)

Just get a Vinotemp 28 bottle unit and 2 pounds of Heartfelt beads and you dont need to worry about this anymore. If you have alot of money worth of cigars a vinotemp is priceless.


----------



## Rudder (Feb 7, 2008)

Stays at a constant 64-68 degrees in my basement. Humidity doesnt fluctuate as much either during the change of the seasons.


----------



## The Postman (Dec 11, 2007)

That is one advantage of living in central Canada, we may have long winters, but our basements stay perfect cigar temperature year round, and the unfinished portion stays at the perfect temps for storing wine and beer. Long live Canada!!


----------



## Phantom57 (Jan 15, 2009)

I would never let mine stay in temps over 75 degrees for very long. I just keep the A/C on about 72 in the summer. For basements, just be very sure it is very dry as it is a perfect breeding ground for mould.


----------



## nativetexan_1 (Jan 1, 2008)

With all the 70-72 degree temps, I'm just wondering how you guys pay your electric bills. In the Dallas area, that would cost a guy $400+ a month. Am I the only poor guy here?


----------



## Rev2010 (Sep 3, 2008)

nativetexan_1 said:


> With all the 70-72 degree temps, I'm just wondering how you guys pay your electric bills. In the Dallas area, that would cost a guy $400+ a month. Am I the only poor guy here?


Well, here in NY/NJ our summers get really hot too. We get 90+ degree days often. I run one AC all day long and my electric bill doesn't even hit $100 during the summer months. Of course, I don't freeze my house, as most mentioned here I just keep it in the low 70's. Maybe I just have an energy effecient model or maybe PSEG is just good with their electric prices. As I said, they kill me with heating costs!

Rev.


----------



## havanitascigars-cl (Apr 29, 2007)

A good alternative to buying a vinotemp, and if you do not have a basement, is somewhere in your house is a closet in the center. Put your humidor on the floor against the innermost corner of that closet. You will find this space, in most areas of the country, is the coolest spot in the house. Even in hot climates and using little AC, rarely will you find such a closet over 80 degrees.


----------



## nativetexan_1 (Jan 1, 2008)

It's MAY and we've got 90+. Hell, in July and August, we'll be 90+ for 60 days in a row.


----------



## Rev2010 (Sep 3, 2008)

nativetexan_1 said:


> It's MAY and we've got 90+. Hell, in July and August, we'll be 90+ for 60 days in a row.


Heh, well then you definitely need to get a Vinotemp for a humidor  Unless of course you have one already.

Rev.


----------



## ksibew (Aug 8, 2008)

Just a word of caution, there have been several reports of cigars being purchased from very reputable venders that have come home with beetles.If you do not freeze your cigars and have the high temps that some of you have, you are looking for problems. 
I have been in this hobbie for a lot of years, 30 plus, and never had a problem until last week. My temps are not above 72 degrees. The problem was in my 250 count humi and not in my vino temp. Cigars are in the freeze mode now.


----------



## Shervin (May 29, 2008)

stanthetaxman said:


> My house, in the summer, is around 78 degrees. I keep the humidity down between 62-65%, and never had a problem.


.

Same here, South Florida in the summer time is great for the beach but sucks for my humi temps, if I have any cigars with beetles this is the time they usually hatch so I have to monitor them carefully. Other than worrying about beetles it really doesnt bother me much.


----------



## hornitosmonster (Sep 5, 2006)

jadeg001 said:


> I am wondering how people keep their cigars at a constant 70 degrees. I have considered buy a wine cooler to put my humidors in, but I would really prefer a less expensive option.


Almost impossible to keep it at 70 degrees in Phoenix during the summer. Your Electric bill would run about $500 or more a month to keep your house at 70 degrees...


----------



## DSturg369 (Apr 6, 2008)

Even if you have a desktop(s) a cooler can be great for this time of the year. Aside from acting like a big humidor it helps buffer the temp changes, especially so in the warmer to down-right hot states. Just sit you're entire desktop in the cooler and it'll work great. If you still need to cool things down inside, just pop in a frozen gel-pack in the cooler, but be sure to wrap in a dry washcloth first to avoid any condensation that may occur.

If you have an a/c in the home, place your humi's in the same room and in the direct air-flow if possible. I even place my cooler directly on the air vent on extremely hot days.


----------



## G-Dub96 (Jul 7, 2009)

I guess I am warm natured. We keep our thermo at around 78 to 79 in the summer and its never hot in the house. Man, I dont think I can stay in the house if its that cold. 70 degrees???


----------



## Habanolover (Feb 22, 2006)

G-Dub96 said:


> I guess I am warm natured. We keep our thermo at around 78 to 79 in the summer and its never hot in the house. Man, I dont think I can stay in the house if its that cold. 70 degrees???


About 68 - 69 here. :tu


----------

